Posted on 05/20/2005 3:22:31 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
So what's the problem? The President can nominate anyone he chooses. Likewise, the Senate can reject or approve any of the nominees they wish.
Senator Frist placed this in motion. Today, Cornyn made it official.
Note: McConnell did not address Reid. Santorum did not address Reid. The number one, number two, and number three people in Leadership role in the Senate did not file for cloture.
Cornyn is a good man, but this was a deliberate slap at Reid. It should be viewed as such.
Joanie, I meant to ping #11 to you too.
The Demorats put up a good, if pointless, fight, with heavy MSM backing, but in the end, they are in the minority. And, I for one, am quite happy they are.
Tuesday! Time enough for the great emasculator, John McCain, to siphon the testosterone out of some of the weaker ones.
Well wuddayaknow! The Republicans gained a few points on my "Respect-o-Meter" today. It's still well below where it's been in the past, but if they keep acting like LEADERS that could change quite quickly. ;)
Why do they bother with the cloture vote? Why not just move that the nominee be voted on right then? If the nominee gets 51 votes the matter is settled!
Here is more on the nominee counting, same source link ...
President Clinton nominated 9 judges after the 107th had been seated but before he left office; never before had an outgoing President attempted this. President Bush withdrew those nominations (although he eventually renominated one of them, who was confirmed). Second, then-Majority Leader Daschle recessed the Congress in the summer of 2001 for sufficient time so as to trigger the following Senate standing rule:"If the Senate shall adjourn or take a recess for more than thirty days, all nominations not finally acted upon at the time of taking such adjournment or recess shall be returned by the Secretary to the President and shall not again be considered unless they shall again be made to the Senate by the President."
In so doing, he forced the return of all outstanding nominations. Each had to start from scratch, with President Bush having to renominate them. Between these two maneuvers, the number of nominations to the 107th Congress was artificially high by 29.
I wonder what would happen if a letter signed by 51 Senators approving the nomination was sent to the President.
Rush raised this question, Would this satisfy the "advise and consent" in the Constitution?
I wonder the same thing, and advocated avoiding cloture.
As for the direct question, "Why not just move that the nominee be voted on," that motion is specifically AGAINST Senate rules. A motion to move the question is ALWAYS out of order. In order to get to the vote, there must be unanimous consent, or cloture to overcome a single objecting Senator.
Notice how Cornyn is a DemoncRAT but the media is determined to play up the GOP angle here ;)
Indeed. However, I must say I've gained a lot of respect for Cornyn since he got to Washington. I love the irony of the Senate seat once held by Lyndon Johnson being the one which places the vote for cloture.
Can we not trust 51 Senators to reject any nominee that is truly objectionable?
?????
Were does it say that? It merely states that the Senate is to advise and consent. If the Senate wanted to, they could create rules that required 99 votes in favor of any action. Obviously we want 51 votes on a judicial up/down, but it isn't mentioned in the Constitution.
Senator Cornyn is a republican and a strict conservative from texas.
I think your confusing him with the congressman.
Are you NUTS or what ? Cornyn is the Jr. REPUBLICAN Senator from Texas.
Corzine..Senator from NJ.
yea! I just hope they don't turn chicken and let the democrats have their way with a future Supreme Court Justice or two. Its time to pull the trigger Now.
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